Trump rally comedian workshopped racist Puerto Rico line at NYC comedy club the night before

Source: nbc news



The comments have drawn intense anger and reignited the criticism over Trump's handling of Hurricane Maria's devastating aftermath in Puerto Rico.

Oct. 28, 2024, 6:29 PM CDT By Nicole Acevedo and Ignacio Torres

The comedian who let loose a series of racist jokes, some about Puerto Rico, at former President Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday night workshopped the material the night before at a local comedy club.

The comedian, Tony Hinchcliffe, called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” to warm up the New York City crowd — drawing immediate criticism from across the political spectrum and derailing what was supposed to be a night highlighting Trump in the final stretch of the campaign.

It was not the first time Hinchcliffe had used the Puerto Rico line — he practiced it at The Stand comedy club in New York City, where he made a surprise appearance Saturday night, according to an NBC News producer and three other people who happened to be in the audience.

The joke did not draw laughs, just a handful of awkward chuckles. Hinchcliffe told the audience that he would be performing at the Madison Square Garden rally the next day and said multiple times during his routine that he would get a better reaction “tomorrow at the rally.”

The Trump campaign was asked Monday on Noticias Telemundo whether it was aware of Hinchcliffe’s jokes in advance. Vianca Rodríguez, the deputy director of Hispanic communications for the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign, said in Spanish that “they don’t have absolute control” over what speakers say, though she was asked about the fact that Hinchcliffe was reading from a teleprompter. ..............................




Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/tony-hinchcliffe-trump-rally-racist-puerto-rico-remarks-rcna177587

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